MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN THE HISTORY OF FLOWER COLLECTIONS CREATED BY FRC SSC OF RAS

The history of flower collections creation in the Subtropical Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences is inextricably linked with the development of the resort city of Sochi and its floral design, dating back more than 100 years. During this period, the directions and priorities have repeatedly changed both in the region and in the country as a whole. The Centre has been conducting the most intensive research in the field of floriculture and ornamental horticulture since the 1960s. This paper summarizes library and archival materials on the formation of flower collections from the first years of work conducted by Sochi Agricultural and Garden Experimental Station to the present. The crops are listed, the performers who stood at the origins of their involvement and worked for them are indicated. The state of the collections is considered, indicating the scientists who are preserving them and conducting research at the present time. In general, more than 90 scientists and specialists have worked to create and form the collections. Fundamental and applied research has been continuing, new cultivars have been created and breeding work is underway. Flower and ornamental crops collections are replenished annually with new species and cultivars. Their generic composition has significantly increased. On the basis of the collections, 1 doctoral and 12 candidate dissertations have been defended. More than 80 scientific research results, monographs, atlases, etc. have been prepared and published, 7 patents for inventions in the field of industrial floriculture mechanization have been obtained. 195 cultivars of flower and ornamental crops have been created. The traditions of scientific schools are maintained: on floriculture, created by K.V. Vasiliev and on breeding, created by F.M. Zorin and continued by V.A. Glazyrin in the field of flower and ornamental crops.